Bracteantha plant named ‘Flobraele’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Bracteantha  plant named Flobraele, characterized by its compact plant habit, many flowers per plant, early flowering, narrow leaf width, and by its vibrant burnt orange flowers which are held above the foliage.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofBracteantha plant, botanically known as Bracteantha bracteata, andreferred to by the variety denomination Flobraele. The genus and specieswere formerly known as Helichrysum bracteatum, and Bracteantha bracteatais synonymous with the more recent botanical designation Xerochrysumbracteatum. The species is also known by the common names strawflower,paper daisy, and everlasting daisy.

The new cultivar is the product of a planned breeding program carriedout by the inventor in Redland Bay, Australia during February 2003. Theobjective of the breeding program was to create new cultivars havingcompact bush habit, narrower leaves, and flower heads or inflorescencescovering a range of colors and held above the foliage on shortpeduncles.

The female or seed parent was unpatented Proprietary Selection 01-563.The characteristics of the female parent are flower heads with manymagenta bracts, short peduncles, and large broad leaves. The male orpollen parent was unpatented Proprietary Selection 01-566. Thecharacteristics of the male parent are few red bracts, few flowers perbush, flower heads held above the foliage on short peduncles, and mediumbroad leaves.

The first act of asexual reproduction of the new cultivar wasaccomplished when vegetative cuttings were made from the selection inOctober 2003 and grown in a controlled environment in Redland Bay,Australia under the supervision of the inventor. Horticulturalexamination of controlled flowerings of successive plantings has shownthat the unique combination of characteristics of the new cultivar arefirmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexualreproduction.

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity, fertilization levels,and day length without, however, any variance in genotype. The followingobservations, measurements and comparisons describe plants grown inRedland Bay, Queensland, Australia under normal commercial growingconditions. The age of the plant described is 16 weeks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and have beendetermined to be basic characteristics of the new cultivar, which incombination distinguish the new cultivar as being new and distinct:

-   -   1. Vibrant burnt orange flowers    -   2. Compact plant habit    -   3. Many flowers per bush    -   4. Early flowering    -   5. Narrow leaf width    -   6. Flowers held above the foliage on short peduncles

The new cultivar differs from its male parent by its flower color,narrower leaf width, and more flowers per bush. Compared to its femaleparent, the new cultivar differs therefrom by flower color, narrowerleaf width, and more flowers per bush.

Of the many commercial cultivars known to the present inventor, the mostsimilar in comparison to the new cultivar is the cultivar Flobrafla,disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,950. In comparative testingconducted in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia, plants of the newcultivar differ from plants of the comparison cultivar in thecharacteristics described in Table 1:

TABLE 1 Trait ‘FLOBRAELE’ ‘FLOBRAFLA’ Flower color burnt orange yellowand red Leaf width narrow medium

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The top photograph shows an overall view of a typical flowering plant ofthe new cultivar, grown in a 14 cm container for about 10 weeks.

The bottom photograph shows a close up of a typical inflorescence.

The photographs show the colors as true as is reasonably possible withcolored reproductions of this type. If any differences exist between thephotographic color and the color values described below, the values inthe detailed description are accurate.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart. The values are based on plantmaterial 16 weeks old grown in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia, andthe values were taken on approximately Jun. 25, 2007.

-   Botanical classification: Bracteantha bracteata ‘Flobraele’.    -   -   Seed parent.—Proprietary Selection 01-563.        -   Pollen parent.—Proprietary Selection 01-566.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Shoot tip cutting.        -   Time and temperature to initiate roots.—Summer, about 21 to            28 days at 20 to 25 deg. C. in the greenhouse; Winter, about            28 to 35 days at 15 to 20 deg. C. in the greenhouse.        -   Rooting description.—Freely branching, fibrous, root density            moderate, color pale brown.-   Plant description:    -   -   General appearance and form.—Compact and bushy growth habit;            upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant form with            dense foliage and inflorescences held above the foliage on            short peduncles. Plant diameter approximately 35 cm and            plant height approximately 15 cm.        -   Growth and branching habit.—Freely branching with lateral            branches forming at every node to produce a dense and bushy            plant.        -   Plant habit.—Rounded, compact, highly branched, and            vigorous.        -   Plant height (from soil level to the top of a mature plant            grown in a 14 cm container).—15 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—30 cm.        -   Time to produce mature plant.—After rooting, about 10 weeks            are required to produce finished flowering plants in 14 cm.            pots.-   Branches:    -   -   Number of branches per plant.—85.        -   Length.—8.5 cm.        -   Width.—3.5 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 1.5 cm.        -   Orientation.—Upright, mounding.        -   Texture.—Slightly pubescent.        -   Color.—195D.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Linear elliptic.        -   Arrangement.—Alternate, single, sessile.        -   Length.—About 8.0 cm.        -   Width.—About 9.5 mm for leaves in the upper and middle            regions of the plant. There are typically 8-10 persistent            juvenile leaves near the bottom which are 15-20 mm in width.        -   Shape at apex.—Acute.        -   Shape at base.—Sessile.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Color of young foliage.—Upper surface: 146 B. Lower surface:            146 B.        -   Color of mature foliage.—Upper surface: 137 C. Lower            surface: 137 D.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Leaf texture.—Upper and lower surfaces are very weakly            pubescent.        -   Venation color.—Upper surface 137 C, lower surface 137 D.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Flower type.—Single daisy-type composite inflorescent form;            involucral bracts and disc florets arranged acropetally on            capitulum.        -   Natural flowering season.—Natural flowering season is            year-round in Redland Bay, Queensland, Australia.

    -   Quantity of inflorescences.—At one time, more than 81 open        flowers and buds per plant.        -   Bud.—Rate of opening (from showing color to fully open            flower): 14 to 21 days. Length: About 20 mm. Diameter: About            8.5 mm. Shape: Broadly ovoid with acute apex. Color: Yellow            orange 22A with greyed orange 176 A streaks toward the apex;            greyed red 180 A tips at the top of the bud.        -   Inflorescence.—Inflorescence depth: About 1.5 cm.            Inflorescence diameter: About 4.0 cm.        -   Fragrance.—Sweet vanilla fragrance of medium intensity.        -   Involucral bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 63 in            multiple whorls. Length: 14 mm. Width: 4.0 mm. Shape:            Ligulate, concave. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin:            Entire. Texture: Both surfaces, smooth, glabrous, papery,            satiny. Color, Upper surface when opening: greyed orange            171A blending to yellow orange 21 A at the base; lower            surface when opening: greyed orange 171A blending to yellow            orange 21A at the base. Upper surface, fully opened flower:            outer involucral bracts are orange 26A blending to yellow            orange 21A toward the base. Inner involucral bracts are            entirely yellow orange 21A. lower surface, opened flower:            greyed orange 171A streaks overlaying a base color of yellow            orange 21A.        -   Disc florets.—Three forms of female filiform florets            surround the perimeter of the disc, with androecium not            being present in these florets; the remainder of the disc is            covered with bisexual disc florets containing both            androecium and gynoecium reproductive organs.        -   Bisexual disc florets.—Shape: Tubular with five lobes.            Length of individual floret: 7.0 mm. Width of individual            floret: 1.0 mm. Quantity: 328. Diameter of mature disc:            11.5 mm. Color, immature discs: 23 B. Color, Mature discs:            23 A.        -   Peduncle.—Strength: Strong. Angle: Upright, erect. Length:            2.0 cm. Color: 195 D.        -   Surface texture.—Medium woolly pubescence.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Androecium.—Anther color: 23 B. Anther shape: Fused anther            tube with five long thin linear anthers surrounding the            style. Anther length: Minute. Pollen color: Yellow.        -   Gynoecium.—Pistil length: About 8.5 mm. Stigma shape:            Bi-parted. Stigma color: 23 B. Style length: About 7.0 mm.            Style color: 23 B. Ovary color: No color to describe it            because of its minute size.-   Seed: No seed was noted on the specimen plants observed.-   Disease/pest susceptibility: Plants of the new Bracteantha have not    been observed to be abnormally resistant to pathogens or pests    common to Bracteantha.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants have not been observed to cease    flowering at the temperatures observed at Redland Bay, Queensland,    Australia.-   Growth retardants: No growth retardants are required for commercial    production of this cultivar, and none were used on the plants    observed in this description.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Bracteantha plant named Flobraele, asillustrated and described.